Ceres surface is riddled with craters. One feature is missing from the images above. Those bright white spots that captured everyone’s attention earlier this year.

Dawn should provide a better look at Ceres’ white spots over the next few weeks

An ion propulsion system continues to propel Dawn ever closer to Ceres. By April 23rd, it will reach its first science orbit at a distance of 8,400 miles. On May 9th, Dawn will edge even closer to the dwarf planet.

Previously, I highlighted how close Dawn will get to Ceres. In June, Dawn will close within 2,730 miles of Ceres. By August, it will be 910 miles above the dwarf planet’s surface. In December, it gets even closer – just 230 miles from Ceres.

Here’s an image showing the different ‘science’ orbits Dawn is expected to conduct around Ceres.